LeBron James Becomes All-Time Leading Scorer In NBA, Defeating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Previous Record

February 8, 2023 by Tsai-Ann Hill in Sports with 0 Comments

LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

LeBron James Becomes All-Time Leading Scorer In NBA, Defeating Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Previous Record

On Tuesday (Feb. 7) LeBron James became the leading scorer in NBA history after he scored his 38,388th point, passing the record’s former holder Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The immortal moment happened at the end of the third quarter of the Lakers’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Russell Westbrook passed the ball to the power forward when he landed his historic 14-foot fadeaway jump shot with 10.9 seconds left on the clock.

Lebron James

The game came to a 10-minute halt as family, friends, and fans celebrated his latest achievement inside of the arena. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who watched the game from a baseline seat near the Lakers bench, was also present to pass on the game ball to LeBron James, a ceremonial passing of the torch. According to reports, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record has been in place since April 5, 1984, roughly nine months before James, 38, was born.

38,388 POINTS

LeBron James hits the fadeaway jumper to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer! #ScoringKing pic.twitter.com/P5LyTZAZn3

— NBA (@NBA) February 8, 2023

While speaking on his record-breaking moment, an emotional James said:

“I just want to say thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are one of a kind. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend and great as Kareem, it means so much to me, it’s very humbling. Please give a standing ovation to The Captain, please.”

He went on to thank his wife and family as well as NBA commissioner Adam Silver and late NBA commissioner David Stern. Seemingly overwhelmed, James concluded :

“F*ck man, thank you guys.”

The Ohio native entered the game with 38,352 points, needing 36 to defeat Abdul-Jabbar’s score. He finished the night with 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting to accompany his seven rebounds, three assists, and three steals. In an interview after the game, Abdul-Jabbar said:

“LeBron’s career is one of someone who planned to dominate this game, and it’s gone for almost 20 years now. You have to give him credit for just the way he played and for the way he’s lasted and dominated. He has that indefinable essence that they call leadership.”

Abdul-Jabbar, 75, played 20 seasons in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. Before passing on the torch to James, the New York native held the record for being the all-time leading scorer in NBA history for four decades, the longest streak of any player. Throughout his career, he won six NBA championships, six regular seasons MVP awards (most in NBA history), along with two NBA Finals MVPs.

Reportedly, celebrities such as Denzel Washington, Jay-Z, Bad Bunny, LL Cool J, Usher, Andy Garcia, and many others were inside of the building to witness history. Basketball greats also supported the night, including Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo, and Dwyane Wade, who played alongside James for two NBA championships while with the Miami Heat.

Lebron James

James, the oldest player to ever average 30 points per game, has displayed his passion for basketball since he was in high school. He skipped college to become the first pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, then went on to lead his teams to 10 appearances in the NBA Finals. His four-time champion and four-time MVP accolades also display his ranking as No. 4 in career assists, No. 9 in steals, No. 32 in rebounds, and No. 91 in blocks — all a testament to James‘ being one of the greatest NBA players in history.